THE DEAD MAN’S HAND IN POKER

To those who are less experienced when it comes to playing poker, the term dead man’s hand may sound rather macabre. But then again, you may have heard people talk about it casually from time to time.

Anyway, the dead man’s hand roots are deeply entrenched in Western history. It was popularised by the likes of John Wayne, who was usually the titular character for Western films, one of which took place in Mann’s saloon, while John Ford was a big name director back in his day.

Holding aces and eights, as you will see, is the key to success when trying to land a dead man’s hand playing poker.

So, without further ado, let’s examine the origins of Wild Bill and how the dead man’s hand came to be.

WHERE DID THE DEAD MAN’S HAND COME FROM?

You may be wondering how the dead man’s hand in poker came to be and how it infiltrated its way into popular culture.

Well, it stars a famous crack shot — Wild Bill Hickock — whose full name was James Butler Hickok (1837-1876). In the Wild West, there was a spate of gunmen, but James Butler Hickok was rather unmemorable, so he was given the moniker of Wild Bill instead.

The famous dead man’s hand was only really made possible at the poker table thanks to Wild Bill, and for any professional gambler looking to pick up regular wins playing poker, then the dead man’s hand is a good reference point, and it has links to Sierra Madre casino.

The slang term dead man’s hand was referred to in the song “Alligator Blood”, so it has permeated its influence. Bob Dylan was inspired by the story for his song “Gambling Willie”, and there are references to how Willie’s cards fell.

And it has inspired many films. In the 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest“, one of the characters had a dead man’s hand tattooed on his shoulders, which had various meanings and interpretations. Meanwhile, the 1962 film “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” was inspired by Wild Bill Hickok, and it revolves around the title character Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) when a Senator attends his funeral.

Going further back, the dead man’s hand was used in the biblical story Paradise Lost, which involved Adam and Eve, and the ensuing temptation to eat an apple from a tree.

In the following section, we will scratch beneath the surface of Wild Bill and his connections to the Wild West.

WHO WAS WILD BILL?

The dead man’s hand starts in 1837 when Hickok, who was born in Illinois, Chicago, was a bit of a chancer, as he was a gunslinger, gambler, lawman, actor, and folklore hero — he was a bit of a busy man by all accounts.

Aside from spending his time in saloons, he arrested outlaws, and supplemented his income by becoming a big player on the poker scene, and he won plenty of money.

Later in life, he relocated to South Dakota, but by this point, Wild Bill Hickok was suffering from a variety of ailments, such as glaucoma.

And as you will discover, it was at a well known drinking hole at the time that Wild Bill Hickok met his untimely death.

WILD BILL HICKOK AND HIS LEGEND

A celebrated veteran of the Civil War, Wild Bill was adored in the States, and as mentioned, he was known as Wild Bill, because it was more impressive sounding than his birth name James.

Apart from being involved in many shootouts, Wild Bill played a key role in poker history, in terms of producing one of the most famous poker hands, and he had a steely determination when it came to his participation in No Limit Texas Hold’Em games.

Although his exploits were often sensationalised, Wild Bill is believed to have been a serial killer. Some reports have suggested at the time that he used the family shotgun (a Turkish hand made shotgun) to kill 100 men, but his importance to Western culture can’t be understated. Well, the shotgun was instrumental throughout the story.

WILD BILL HICKOK’S DEATH

On August 2, 1876, Wild Bill Hickok was taking part in a Five Card stud game at Nuttal and Mann’s saloon. Card rooms at the time were as you might imagine with a fog of cigar smoke filling the air, and players knocking back whisky.

As the playing cards made their way around the table and chips were tossed into the pot, a gambler by the name of Jack McCall, who was also known as “Crooked Nose” or “Duck Bill” for his unseemly looks, and he inauspiciously made his way into the saloon without anybody noticing.

Unfortunately, Wild Bill Hickok took the only seat remaining. He didn’t notice before Jack McCall — a drunken buffalo hunter — raised his pistol and fired at Wild Bill Hickok’s head. We will never know exactly what Hickok’s hand was at the time, and he was shot dead at the age of 39. In many ways, it was a grave insult to a man, who at one point, had been a local hero.

Supposedly, Hickok had two black eights as well as two black aces in terms of playing cards he showed, which at the time would have been considered a winning hand.

As such, Wild Bill was killed holding the dead man’s hand in poker as legend has it. As far as McCall was concerned, he was initially acquitted by a jury of miners. However, the federal government refused to accept the verdict and McCall was retried. McCall was found guilty of murder and he was a death row inmate before he was hung on March 1, 1877.

Today, there is a small casino called Saloon 10, which is located where Wild Bill was killed.

DEAD MAN’S HAND AS A CARD GAME

So, the dead man’s hand and the role of black eights and black aces came into popular poker parlance by the 1920s, and that was largely down to a biography of Wild Bill Hickok entitled: Wild Bill Hickok: The Prince of Pistoleers.

In a game of Texas Hold’Em, for example, a dead man’s hand is considered to be a marginal hand, but how it is played will depend very much on the range and positioning of a player sat around the board.

We will now take a more in depth look at the dead man’s hand as a winning hand when you play poker.

DEAD MAN’S POKER HAND VALUE

Typically, the dead man’s hand will consist of a five card hand involving black aces and black eights. More specifically, there will be black eights of spades and black aces of eights.

But is it a good winning hand? Well, considering the usual winning hand in a full No Limit Hold’Em game is a two pair, the dead man’s hand is one of the best combinations in the game.

Even if your opponent is holding aces and eights, which entails an Ace King, the Ace Eight can be deceptively strong, and if you are gonna play a hand, it might as well be a dead man’s hand.

BILL HICKOK’S CARDS

At the time of Wild Bill Hickok’s death, the dead man’s hand featured a combination of two black eights and two black aces.

There has been some debate as to whether this was the true dead man’s hand, but that said, the fifth card he pulled out has only added further intrigue to the long-running mystery.

HOW TO PLAY DEAD MAN’S HAND?

So, depending on the kind of player you are will impact how you play a particular hand, in this case, dead man’s hand. For example, a player in a late position might use a calling card if there are no other callers in front of him.

But if there is a raise in front of him, then most players will usually fold on an A-8, as playing aces and eights after the flop can be laden with danger.

That is because the aces and eights can throw a player out of his stride. If a player hits an ace on the table after the flop, it won’t take much for another player to be outkicked due to a weak 8.

However, aces and eights can hold more value in the latter stages of a tournament. They may feel confident that the aces and eights created by the dead man’s hand will improve their chances of stealing the blinds.

As mentioned, this type of two pair brings an added dimension to the dead man’s hand, and there won’t be much dead money laying about after a game if the said hand is made.

TIPS FOR THE DEAD MAN’S HAND CARD GAME?

If you are looking for some tips to master the dead man’s hand in poker, which might be lucky cards for some, you ought to take on board the following tips which may be useful, especially when it comes to revealing the fifth card.

Bluff carefully – When you collect cards, you need to read the board carefully. Of course, the fifth card played could reveal a strong two pair, those who try to bluff with a middle pair too early will struggle to make a full house. As such, bring out the bluff when you are in a good position.

Be aggressive early on – The best players will be aggressive early on as they seek to make a full house, and if you can do so, then you will be more likely to get your hands on the pot at the end.

CONCLUSION

The shotgun plays a significant role in the story of the dead man’s hand, and a batch of classic black and white films, such as Stagecoach involving a ringo kid, has also contributed to the long lasting legacy of dead man’s hand.

While the story of the dead man’s hand is fascinating, it has proven to be a formidable hand in poker, and it shouldn’t be underestimated.